One year ago today, we got off a plane in Columbus, Ohio and tried not to run through the airport. We were so eager to see family members there waiting for us and so eager for them to meet Martha!
It just doesn't seem possible that it is a full year later. God has been so faithful to us. Dave & I have been going through day by day of our 2nd trip to Ethiopia this past week. The memories are still very clear - sort of like our delivery room/first days in the hospital with the other kids. Picking her up at the orphanage, the coffee ceremony with the staff there to say good-bye, the ride to the hotel when she feel asleep........all of it amazing.
Martha rolled with everything those first days and now we are the ones who try to roll with her, or at least keep up with her! She is smart, mischievous, busy, fast and very adventurous. She loves all of her siblings and is always happy to see them when they get home. She has learned the art of putting off her bedtime by saying "cuddle" every time we try to put her down to sleep. I think we still feel like we missed all those cuddles of that first year of her life, so we often grant her wish and give her a few more minutes of "cuddle". All of our worries about having a much younger child around the house quickly gave way and we are again used to toys all over the floor and diaper changes. It has all felt very natural. Martha has grown about 7 inches since she came home and went from having no teeth to now having 13 of them. She still continues in speech therapy, but is making continued progress. She is a pretty good eater and loves to drink her milk. She shows some healthy attachment to us and we are deeply grateful for that.
We know that Martha may still have difficult days ahead. We know that any child of adoption can have identity issues, later attachment issues, etc- some of those in the early days of elementary, some in those teenage years, and some even later. We pray that if those issues do surface, that they are minor for her - and for now, we just keep praising God and asking for Him to bless her and prepare her for whatever comes in her life.
Ethiopia still burns in our hearts - and the many orphans there are never far from our thoughts. We still keep up on adoption issues there, other families still in process and ministries there. Dave is taking a sabbatical during the summer of 2014 and we have put in a grant proposal for that. If we receive the grant (we won't know until late August), we will return to Ethiopia - with all five of the kids! We want our kids to see where Martha is from and also have an understanding of another part of the world. If we go, we will do some orphan care, Dave will do some training of church planting pastors and we would also meet our Compassion Child - the boy who we have prayed for and supported for 6 years now - it was through that relationship that we fell in love with Ethiopia. Who knew God would work in such a way!? It is so wonderful to reflect on God's working - behind the scenes - in so many ways to stretch and change and bless our family.
This *picture is of Martha one week ago. She's come so far in this past year - we hope the world is ready!
P.S. If you want to keep praying for the "Jansen Expansion" please pray that the Grant Proposal is accepted. We would really appreciate your prayers on that!
*Photo courtesy of Ruth Jansen
Martha rolled with everything those first days and now we are the ones who try to roll with her, or at least keep up with her! She is smart, mischievous, busy, fast and very adventurous. She loves all of her siblings and is always happy to see them when they get home. She has learned the art of putting off her bedtime by saying "cuddle" every time we try to put her down to sleep. I think we still feel like we missed all those cuddles of that first year of her life, so we often grant her wish and give her a few more minutes of "cuddle". All of our worries about having a much younger child around the house quickly gave way and we are again used to toys all over the floor and diaper changes. It has all felt very natural. Martha has grown about 7 inches since she came home and went from having no teeth to now having 13 of them. She still continues in speech therapy, but is making continued progress. She is a pretty good eater and loves to drink her milk. She shows some healthy attachment to us and we are deeply grateful for that.
We know that Martha may still have difficult days ahead. We know that any child of adoption can have identity issues, later attachment issues, etc- some of those in the early days of elementary, some in those teenage years, and some even later. We pray that if those issues do surface, that they are minor for her - and for now, we just keep praising God and asking for Him to bless her and prepare her for whatever comes in her life.
Ethiopia still burns in our hearts - and the many orphans there are never far from our thoughts. We still keep up on adoption issues there, other families still in process and ministries there. Dave is taking a sabbatical during the summer of 2014 and we have put in a grant proposal for that. If we receive the grant (we won't know until late August), we will return to Ethiopia - with all five of the kids! We want our kids to see where Martha is from and also have an understanding of another part of the world. If we go, we will do some orphan care, Dave will do some training of church planting pastors and we would also meet our Compassion Child - the boy who we have prayed for and supported for 6 years now - it was through that relationship that we fell in love with Ethiopia. Who knew God would work in such a way!? It is so wonderful to reflect on God's working - behind the scenes - in so many ways to stretch and change and bless our family.
P.S. If you want to keep praying for the "Jansen Expansion" please pray that the Grant Proposal is accepted. We would really appreciate your prayers on that!
*Photo courtesy of Ruth Jansen
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